Muslim organisations and human rights groups call the drive ‘inhumane’ and demand immediate rehabilitation efforts
AHMEDABAD – A large-scale demolition drive by the Municipal Corporation in this Gujarat city has destroyed over 7,000 Muslim homes, displacing thousands of people and leaving them without shelter and under the mercy of the hot weather. The demolition drive, which covered an area exceeding 250,000 sq. km., was launched near Chandola Talab of the city on Tuesday.
The operation came after the Gujarat High Court on April 29 upheld the state authorities’ decision to demolish the structures, citing that they were deemed illegal and situated on government land. However, residents claim they have valid documentation and have lived in the area for decades.
A day earlier, over 4,000 shanties in Siyasatnagar and Bengali Vaas areas were torn down, rendering thousands of Muslims homeless.
The affected families, mostly labourers, ragpickers, and migrants from West Bengal and Rajasthan, are struggling to secure alternative accommodation due to soaring rent and deposit demands.
The demolition drive comes in the wake of last month’s Pahalgam attack, with authorities citing “national security” concerns and alleging that the area was occupied by Bangladeshi infiltrators.
Post-Pahalgam incident, over 6,500 people — most of them Muslims — were detained for verification of their citizenship status. Within the same week, more than a thousand were arrested as alleged undocumented immigrants. The detainees included women and children. However, after a couple of days, around 850 of them were released upon being confirmed as Indian citizens.
“To cover up its failures, the administration first demolished around 2,000 houses, and now the process of razing another 6,500 is underway. This is a deliberate attempt to harass Muslims by making them homeless,” media reports quoted Nafees, convenor of the Gujarat-based Minority Coordination Committee, as saying.
The demolition drive has come under severe criticism by Muslim organisations and human rights groups, who call it “inhumane” and demand immediate rehabilitation efforts.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with many questioning the government’s motives and portrayal of the residents as “illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.”
The Gujarat-based Minority Welfare Committee has condemned the demolition, reiterating that the affected residents are Indian citizens with valid identification documents.
As thousands of families remain stranded, concerns grow over the safety and livelihoods of women and children, who are especially vulnerable in this situation. The government’s actions have been criticised as a “deliberate attempt to harass Muslims by making them homeless.”
